American Textile History Museum Moves Forward With Plan To Build Future In Lowell
ATHM's Board Chairman Kenneth J. McAvoy said, "The Board based its decision on the progress the Museum has made since Jim Coleman took over as Executive Director of the Museum in January of this year. As we strive to meet our operating expenses and grow our endowment, we're encouraged by Jim's strong business background and the vision for the Museum that he presented at our Annual Meeting in May. We are firmly committed to increasing our involvement and becoming a more integral part of the Lowell community. At the same time we strive to expand our horizons and see that the Museum increases our national and international presence."
In describing several components of the strategic plan Coleman said, "The Museum plans to undertake a major renovation of our Textiles in America core exhibition in order to tell a more exciting and comprehensive story of textiles into the 21st century. I believe we can make our story more compelling, more fun, more interactive and more inclusive of the textile industry as a whole. People will be amazed when they see things made from textiles that they had no idea were textile based. We are also actively working on details for mutually beneficial partnerships with the University of Massachusetts in Lowell (UML) and the Lowell National Historical Park, and exploring state and federal funding sources with legislators. The collaboration with UML and their nano-technology program looks to be very exciting " In other recent developments Coleman said, "We continue to add key portions of our unparalleled collections for on line viewing under the Chace Catalogue on our website, also membership and visitation have increased, fundraising is up, the Board and Advisors have expanded our potential donor list, and the sale of half of our historic building will increase the Museum's endowment, and bring in new neighbors and a new vibrancy to our building."
The American Textile History Museum is located in the historic Kitson building, built in 1860 to manufacture textile machinery. It tells America's story through the art, history and science of textiles and is the nation's largest and most comprehensive textile museum. Growing from a small regional facility in North Andover, originally known as the Merrimack Valley Textile Museum, to a nationally recognized cultural institution, the Museum moved to historic Lowell in 1997, to better serve the public. It is home to a nationally renowned collection of books and documents, tools and textile machinery, fabric samples, textiles, and costumes. Its collections come to life in the Textiles in America core exhibition, special exhibitions, and educational programs.
The Museum continues its annual fundraising efforts to support the Museum's ongoing operations, collections, hands-on family activities in the Textile Learning Center (TLC), educational programs which serve over 8,500 area grade school students, and exhibitions such as Quilt National '05 which runs through September 3, 2006,
The exhibitions and the TLC are open during regular Museum hours: Thursdays and Fridays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Museum is closed on holidays. Admission is $8 for adults; $6 for seniors, college students, children 6-16, and groups; free for children under 6 and Museum members.
The Museum, an Editors' Choice in the 2006 edition of the Yankee Magazine Travel Guide to New England, is located at 491 Dutton Street in Lowell, adjacent to the Lowell National Historical Park, 35 miles north of Boston off Route I-495.
SOURCE: American Textile History Museum